


Waiting for the Inevitable

by novemberhush



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: AU in that Sonny has left SVU to work in the Brooklyn DA’s Office, Also Mini Dodds is alive in this one but only referred to in passing, Angst with a Happy Ending, Because you’re almost always guaranteed a happy ending with me, But there will be pining, Don’t worry about that Sonny/OFC tag, Light Angst, M/M, This fic is all about the Barisi, all the pining, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 06:09:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16887096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novemberhush/pseuds/novemberhush
Summary: There’s always been a feeling of inevitability about him and Sonny, Rafael thinks, on the way to the upscale hotel bar they’d agreed to meet at.The adoring, petite blonde at Sonny’s side when he gets there, however, might suggest otherwise.After all, just because something’s meant to be doesn’t mean it has to come easy...





	Waiting for the Inevitable

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Hey! Well, it took me a while, but I finally finished it! Some fics just write themselves and others you have to work at, chipping away, bit by bit, ‘til you find the words you want to say. This one definitely falls under the second category. Hopefully it was worth the time and effort. :-)
> 
> I dedicate this to ghostofachancewithyou who had a birthday recently (the day after mine!). I hope you had a great day, and will have a great year to come, sweetness. xxx
> 
> And for those who like knowing the story behind the fic, this one was inspired by a song by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Catherine McGrath, called ‘Thought It Was Gonna Be Me’. You can (if I’ve done this right!) listen to the song [here](http://youtu.be/dvPYzz8ENlA).

Rafael laughed as he caught sight of the time and realized just how long he’d spent checking his appearance in the mirror. He felt nervous, but the good kind. Excited, like a teenager getting ready for his first date with the Homecoming Queen. Or King, in this case.

 

Sonny had called a couple of days ago, voice full of that smile that had been keeping Rafael up at night, to say he was gonna be back in Manhattan Friday night and ask if Rafael wanted to meet for a drink. It had taken Rafael all of about 0.2 seconds to say yes. It was finally happening. Sonny was back this side of the bridge and they could at last pick up where they’d left off, that night at Sonny’s farewell party when they hadn’t, but they almost had.

 

Rafael sighed as he thought back to that night, the squad throwing Sonny one last shindig before he left them for a position in the Brooklyn D.A.’s office. It hadn’t been fancy, just beer and chips (and cake) in Sonny’s cop bar of choice, but it had been fun and the lack of pretentiousness seemed fitting given Sonny’s own honest, sincere, no airs and graces nature. The party had eventually started to wind down around 1 a.m., only Rafael, Sonny, Fin, Mike and a few stragglers still hanging around. Liv and Amanda had taken off together earlier, babysitters to relieve.

 

Rafael felt like he hadn’t taken his eyes off Sonny all night, but he didn’t think he could be blamed. Not when he looked so goddamn beautiful; warmth and happiness and everything that's good in this world shining out of him, lighting him up from the inside out.

 

But the interesting thing was how often he found himself looking at Sonny only to find Sonny looking right back at him, smile soft, but eyes full of something that looked a hell of a lot like heat and hunger.

 

He remembered again how they’d slowly gravitated towards each other as the crowd thinned out, finding themselves alone at a little table in back, Sonny looking even softer in the glow of the low lighting. Or maybe it was nothing to do with the lighting, maybe it was all just him. Rafael wouldn’t have been surprised. Just Sonny, exuding that warmth that was an intrinsic part of him. Some new air of contentment about him that Rafael hoped maybe, just maybe, had something to do with him and all the lingering looks (not to mention ever diminishing space) between them.

 

He remembered the feeling of inevitability about it all. Like it was meant to be. Him and Sonny and a taxi ride home together, barely able to keep their hands off each other until they got inside Rafael’s apartment, or Sonny’s, whichever was closest.

 

And he remembered how it hadn’t happened.

 

Remembered how he’d been winding up to ask if Sonny wanted to get out of there, wanted to come back to his place for a nightcap, or coffee, or something (emphasis on the ‘something’). He’d only gotten as far as “Hey, so, you think you maybe wanna…”, when the unmistakable gravelly tones of one Odafin Tutuola rang out across the bar.

 

“Hey, Carisi, get your ass over here! Come on, Dodds is buyin’! Quick, before he changes his mind!”

 

Sonny had tried to demur, raised the glass he was still holding and said something about reaching his limit for the night, but Fin was having none of it. He’d made his way, somewhat unsteadily, over to them, cracked some joke about cops not being good enough for Sonny anymore, was that it, before clapping Rafael good-naturedly on the back to let him know he was kidding. Then he’d wrapped his hand around Sonny’s bicep, hauling him to his feet and dragging him to the bar.

 

Sonny had thrown Rafael an apologetic look over his shoulder which Rafael had answered with a rueful shrug of his shoulders and a ‘what are you gonna do?’ look of his own. It was disappointing, sure, but Rafael had still felt that sense of inevitability about the two of them. It was still going to happen, just not that night. It wasn’t as if they were never going to see each other again. There would be plenty of time for them to take that next step. But that old saying about God laughing as men make plans proved correct once again.

 

A few days after Sonny’s departure the squad had caught a case that turned out to be the work of a serial, one of the worst any of them had ever seen. The suspect was slippery and even though they knew he was guilty they had a tough time proving it. In the end they got lucky, but, as Fin put it, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

 

Still, the case had taken its toll. Long days in court fighting the defence’s seemingly endless array of motions to dismiss or suppress had added to the already tiring number of late nights Rafael had spent with the squad poring over every detail of the crimes, looking for something they might’ve missed. By the time they‘d finally found the crucial piece of damning evidence that would ensure the monster would be put away for life, all Rafael wanted to do was sleep for a month. He could call Sonny next week he told himself. Besides, it was probably best to give him time to find his feet at his new job before they started anything. One thing at a time and all that.

 

Except the next week they were handed another case, and the week after, and the week after that. Before he knew it it had been six months since Carisi had left and Rafael still hadn’t called him. But then, phones generally work both ways and Sonny hadn’t called him either. Rafael tried not to read too much into that. After all, Sonny had just started a new job, a whole new _profession_ (because although they both involved the law there was no denying that being a cop and being a lawyer were two very different things). He was bound to be busy, and maybe even a little overwhelmed, for the first few months. That was all it was.

 

Every time Rafael got nervous that maybe it was something more than that he would think back to the farewell party and the look in Sonny’s eyes every time he’d looked at him, knowing Sonny had seen the same look reflected back at him. Then that feeling of inevitability would settle over him again and he would relax. Their time was coming that look seemed to promise. It just wasn’t here yet, that was all.

 

Until two days ago when the call had finally come, Carmen putting it through with a smile as she momentarily forgot herself and announced that ‘Detective’ Carisi was on line one. Rafael suddenly understood that saying about having your heart in your throat all too well. Then he’d heard that voice that when he first met Carisi he never would’ve believed he could come to love so much and everything finally felt right for the first time in months. Maybe in years.

 

Now here he was, eyes scanning the upscale hotel bar for Sonny, fingers fluttering nervously up and down the new silk tie he’d bought especially for tonight and had been assured by the saleswoman brought out said eyes. There’d been no time to have a new suit made, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about asking René, his tailor, if it was possible anyway. He ran a shaky hand through his freshly cut hair, wondering again for the umpteenth time if it made him look like he was trying too hard.

 

That thought stuttered to a halt, along with his heart, and seemingly the world, as his eyes snagged on that familiar swoop of hair, those dimples that would be the death of him and that smile that could conquer universes. Everything seemed to grind to a stop. Time stood still and the rest of the world vanished. There was only Sonny and Rafael and too much space in between.

 

But Sonny hadn’t seen him yet so that smile wasn’t directed at Rafael. No, that honour belonged to the petite blonde currently gazing up at Sonny like he was the best thing she’d ever seen. Rafael could relate, but he didn’t feel much like bonding, especially as he’d just caught sight of her hand clasped firmly in Sonny’s.

 

His stomach dropped as he came to the swift realization of what tonight really was. He was such a fool. It wasn’t his and Sonny’s first date. It was the night Sonny wanted to take his girl out on the town and show off a little. Dazzle her with the bright lights of the big city. Impress her with swanky hotels and lawyer friends in fancy suits. And Rafael had fitted the bill perfectly. He had to get out of here, _now._

 

Which was of course the exact moment those damned baby blues lighted on him. Sonny quickly extricated himself from the blonde’s grasp and hurried over. Rafael steeled himself, knowing escape was no longer an option, not without giving himself and his stupid hopes and dreams about what tonight had been supposed to be about away. He plastered a smile he hoped didn’t look too much like a grimace on his face. It was either that or burst into tears right there and wouldn’t that just be the cherry on the crapfest this night was turning out to be.

 

“Rafael! You made it!” Sonny beamed, running up to him, grabbing the hand that Rafael somehow had the wherewithal to offer him and shaking it with a fervour that had Rafael suspecting he’d still be feeling it in the morning. God, those damn eyes. They’d been showing up in his dreams on a regular basis for the last six months (and a good few months before that too, if he was being honest), but no dream could live up to the reality. Now they were boring into his with an intensity that belied their softness.

 

It was only because he was watching those eyes so intently that he caught the exact moment when Sonny seemed to come to some sort of decision, something fierce flaring in the blue depths and making Rafael’s mouth go dry. He had a split second to try to decipher that look and realize what it meant. It was just long enough for him not to be taken completely by surprise and stagger backwards when Sonny surged forward, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug his abuelita would’ve been proud to dispense.

 

“You look good,” Sonny breathed, voice low and right next to his ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down Rafael’s spine that he really hoped Sonny hadn’t felt, but knew he probably had. He had to content himself with at least having the self-control not to give into the almost overwhelming urge he had to bury his face in the juncture of Sonny’s neck and shoulder and just breathe him in. That scent he hadn’t realized he’d missed so much until he found himself surrounded by it now, deep in the shelter of Sonny’s embrace. Of course, it couldn’t last.

 

Sonny pulled back and seemed to falter for a second, unsure of himself or of what to do next, Rafael couldn’t tell. Then that megawatt smile was back in place and he was slinging his arm round Rafael’s shoulders with a “It’s so good to see you. I swear, you have no idea. Now, come on, there’s someone I want you to meet and I just know you’re gonna get on like the proverbial house on fire.”

 

A comment which seemed apt, Rafael thought, given how all his hopes and dreams had just gone up in smoke. Still, he straightened his tie one more time, trying to ignore the feeling of Sonny’s warm arm draped casually over his shoulders like it belonged there, and did his best to keep a smile on his face.

 

Up close the petite blonde was pretty, in a generic sort of way. Rafael had the good grace and self-awareness to acknowledge that he wasn’t likely to be the kindest judge when it came to her attributes. The green-eyed monster in him that had reared its ugly head upon seeing her hand in Sonny’s would make sure of that. But, yeah, he didn’t think he was being too harsh when he used the word ‘generic’ to describe her, at least to himself.

 

She had skin he imagined the fashion magazines his mother liked to read would probably describe as ‘porcelain’, very fair complexioned and seemingly without blemish. The hair was dark blonde (on anyone else he probably would’ve described it as dirty blonde, but somehow he couldn’t imagine the word ‘dirty’ being used about her in any context, even if only to describe the colour of her hair), set, tonight at least, in soft, loose waves. Her eyes were blue, darker than Sonny’s, not unattractive, but nothing Rafael felt would inspire sonnets.

 

The nose was just a little too perfect and a petty little part of Rafael took great delight in suspecting it owed more to one of Manhattan’s best plastic surgeons than Mother Nature. Her mouth, a touch too small in Rafael’s opinion, was painted a subtle pink. Indeed her whole look was subtle, from her hair to her makeup to her clothes. Well turned out, but not flashy. Conservative. Nothing edgy, and very traditionally feminine.

 

Not that there was anything wrong with that. It just didn’t match Rafael’s own panache. An image of Charlotte from ‘Sex and the City’ suddenly flashed in Rafael’s mind. Physical differences aside, he had to admit it felt like a good comparison. She was a ‘good girl’ her whole look seemed to telegraph (it was much too polite to do anything as vulgar as scream).

 

“Gwennie, this is A.D.A. Rafael Barba. Rafael, Miss Gwendolyn Pierce.”

 

‘Gwennie’ held out a small, snow white, perfectly-manicured hand for Rafael to shake. The urge to recoil was strong, but a lifetime of self-control, borne of a need not to give in to his anger and frustrations the way his father so easily had, and honed by a career in law where keeping one’s cards close to the vest was essential, ensured that his smile never wavered. Manners impeccable, he shook the proffered hand delicately and said all the things that were expected of him, Miss Pierce doing likewise.

 

Soon they were seated, drinks in hand, and Rafael could only nod, smile and force the occasional little laugh in all the appropriate places as Sonny, with the odd interjection from Gwendolyn here and there, recounted the full story of how they had met and got together.

 

Miss Pierce (“Please, call me Gwen.”), it turned out, was the daughter of Judge Janet Pierce and she and Sonny had, quite literally, bumped into each other in the hallway outside Judge Pierce’s office one day. Having spilled his coffee all over the young lady’s outfit Sonny had of course done the gentlemanly thing and insisted on paying for the dry cleaning. Numbers were exchanged and the rest, as they say, was history. Judge Pierce was now required to recuse herself from presiding over any of Sonny’s cases, but other than that, it was just like any other love story.

 

Well, any other love story where a lonely, middle-aged former colleague of one of the parties involved was also head over heels in love with said party, but Rafael figured that was his burden to carry, not theirs.

 

And she was nice, Rafael could concede. A little dull perhaps, but genteel, well-educated, good-mannered. Inoffensive, really, he would have said, if it weren’t for the fact she’d committed the greatest offence of all by enticing his Sonny away.

 

But then, he’d never really been _his_ Sonny, had he? Not in any real sense of the word, not in the real world. Only in Rafael’s head, in his _heart_ , had Sonny ever been ‘his’. He’d been fooling himself to ever think otherwise. Once, maybe, there’d been a chance to change all that, to make it real, but that ship had sailed now. Had sailed away the night of Sonny’s farewell party, never to return. All Rafael could do now was get through the night, smiling and going through the motions, and generally pretending he didn’t feel like the captain of the Titanic, standing by and watching as his ship sank, unable to do anything to stop it.

 

The worst thing was he could see how it would go, could see their glittering future all laid out before him. In a few months’ time he’d hear they’d got engaged, Sonny having gone all out on the proposal, giving Gwen a story so romantic it would make all her friends green with envy. They’d go ring shopping together and she’d pick out something subtly expensive, elegant and tasteful.

 

A while after that he’d receive a ‘Save the Date’ card from them, a precursor to the inevitable wedding invitation. He was already thinking up excuses as to why he couldn’t attend.

 

Then there’d be photos from the wedding being shared around the squad room. He’d have to dredge up the same smile from tonight, make all the inane comments one was supposed to in that situation. Although he supposed his reputation for sarcasm and cynicism could probably let him get away with not showing the same enthusiasm for Sonny’s newfound relationship status as the rest of the team.

 

In a couple of years they’d start churning out babies. Blond, blue-eyed little angels with dimples and smiles like the sun. Gwen would probably give up her job as a teacher to become a homemaker while Sonny climbed the ranks at the D.A.’s office. The perfect heteronormative all-American family. Living the perfect heteronormative American Dream. They’d be happy. Rafael would be alone and miserable, but they’d be happy. Even with everything in him aching the way it did he didn’t begrudge them that. He could never begrudge Sonny anything that would make him happy. He just had to get through this night and out of here before either of them could see the hole in his chest where his heart had been.

 

Finally it was over. Goodbyes were exchanged, with another shake of Miss Pierce’s hand and bone-crunching hug from Sonny, promises (all empty, at least on Rafael’s side) to do it again soon were made, and then he was out of there, flagging down a cab like his life depended on it. He was thankful the driver wasn’t a talker. Rafael couldn’t make any more small talk, not after the excruciating night he’d just had. He just wanted to get home, have a very large drink, go to bed and hopefully wake up in the morning to discover it had all been a bad dream.

 

But it wasn’t a bad dream. The whole fiasco of turning up thinking things were about to take a turn for the romantic between him and Sonny and the disappointment of the reality that had awaited him still weighed heavy upon him the next morning. Rafael had a feeling it would continue to do so for a very long time.

 

Still, life went on, as it always does. One more broken heart in the world wasn’t going to change that, as Rafael well knew. He threw himself into his work with renewed vigour. It was all he had. All he could ever imagine himself having now.

 

There was no grand romance in his future, no one true love, no adoring partner, beautiful children, house in the suburbs, not for him. He chastised himself for ever believing there could be. Besides, he had never wanted any of those things before he met Sonny. So why should he want them now? It was just a passing fancy, a whim that was here today and would be gone tomorrow.

 

At least, that’s what his head tried to tell him. His heart, though, didn’t buy it for a second. It refused to let go of Sonny. Thoughts of what might’ve been, what might still be, haunted Rafael at every turn. Morning, noon and night, at home, in the office, in court; Sonny, always there, and that feeling of inevitability Rafael couldn’t shake even now when he knew it was impossible.

 

Then one day, about five months after his Friday night drinks with Sonny and Gwen, his cellphone rang, Sonny’s name flashing up on the screen. Rafael wasn’t proud of it, but he panicked and didn’t answer, letting it go to voicemail. He wasn’t ready to hear that they’d got engaged or that they wanted to meet up with him again. When he finally plucked up the courage to listen to the message it was short and gave nothing away. Just Sonny, perhaps sounding a little more subdued than normal, asking him to give him a call back when he could.

 

And Rafael meant to, he really did, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to do it, convinced that whatever Sonny wanted to talk about could only mean more pain for him. Sonny wasn’t giving up, however, and kept calling back, both on the cell and the office number. In the end Rafael managed to dodge his calls for another month before Sonny cornered him in his usual seat at his favourite bar one night.

 

“You’ve been avoiding me, Counsellor,” came the familiar, instantly recognisable voice from behind Rafael. He froze in his seat, heart thumping in his chest, willing himself not to give anything away.

 

“No, just busy is all,” he replied, turning to face Sonny, voice not as steady as he would’ve liked, but not as bad as it could’ve been. “What can I get you, _Counsellor_?”

 

Sonny shot him a wry smile before pulling up the seat next to him, indicating to the bartender to bring over two more of what Rafael was drinking. Scotch, as it happened. The same brand they’d been drinking the night of Sonny’s leaving party. Rafael tried not to read too much into that. He was too old to start believing in signs and omens now.

 

They watched quietly as the drinks were poured, Rafael still reeling from the surprise of Sonny’s sudden appearance and steeling himself as to what could be so important Sonny had felt the need to actually seek him out in person. Sonny, for his part, seemed to be gathering his thoughts before speaking. Or maybe his nerve. That was the vibe Rafael was getting, anyway.

 

When the bartender had walked away and Sonny still hadn’t spoken again, or even looked in Rafael’s direction for that matter, Rafael guessed it was up to him to break the silence, and with it the tension, that had settled between them. He also figured it was better to just get it over with and ask the one question he really didn’t want to, but knew he had to.

 

“So… how are things going with you and Gwen? I was half expecting my invitation to the wedding by now.” He hoped his voice didn’t sound as strangled as he suspected it did. As for the smile he plastered on, he didn’t even waste his time hoping it didn’t look forced. It did, and he knew it.

 

The smile Sonny gave him in return was small, but genuine.

 

“No, no invitations, Raf. No invitations, no wedding, no nothing. At least not with Gwen. We broke up.”

 

Rafael’s heart turned over in his chest. What was Sonny saying? Were things really over and done between him and Gwen or was it just a lover’s tiff that would soon be forgiven and forgotten? And if things really were over for good, was that something Sonny wanted, was happy about, or had he just come here to drown his sorrows and cry on Rafael’s shoulder?

 

But even with all these thoughts whirling through his mind Rafael’s brain still seized upon the diminutive Sonny had used. _Raf._ Sonny had never called him that before. It had always been ‘Barba’ before and then ‘Rafael’, but never _Raf._ It probably meant nothing, he told himself. And yet it felt like it meant everything. But Rafael couldn’t focus on that now. Right now Sonny needed to talk and he needed to listen.

 

“What happened?” That was all he said. He didn’t push. He let Sonny answer in his own time.

 

Sonny was slouched forward over the bar, toying with the scotch glass in his hands, eyes staring into it like the amber liquid within held all the secrets of the universe. Then he jerked up straight, taking Rafael by surprise, and tossed back the scotch in one. Signalling the bartender for a refill he sighed before turning to face Rafael.

 

“I could tell you it was the job came between us. Tell you I brought all the ugliness and darkness we see every day home with me and she couldn’t stomach it. Tell you we had incompatible outlooks on life or just simply wanted different things…” Sonny trailed off. “I could tell you all those things, and they wouldn’t necessarily be lies. But they wouldn’t be the whole truth either.”

 

“Okay…” Rafael murmured, his mind a flurry of thoughts and his heart about ready to beat out of his chest. He took a risk and asked the million dollar question. “So what is the truth?”

 

Sonny looked away, turning his attention to his newly refilled glass. Stalling for time, if Rafael was any judge. He took another swig of scotch, followed by a deep breath, before he replied.

 

“The truth is I never should’ve got involved with her in the first place. Not when my heart wasn’t really in it. But I was scared. Too scared to go for what I really wanted. So sure that it was out of my reach forever. So I didn’t even try. Then Gwen came along. She was nice, sweet. We got along well together and she seemed to really like me. Maybe even love me. So I tried to convince myself we could make it work. Tried to convince myself she was who I wanted.”

 

He paused for a moment, raising the glass to take another drink before seeming to think better of it. Setting the glass down again he picked up where he’d left off, as if he’d never stopped talking in the first place.

 

“But you can’t be in a relationship with someone when you’re in love with somebody else.” He still wasn’t looking at Rafael. ‘Or at least I can’t. Maybe some people can pull it off. Maybe they can even be happy. But I’m a romantic, Raf. I believe in love, and _being_ in love, and Gwen’s great, she really is, she’s exactly the kind of person I thought I’d marry, exactly the kind of person my family would want me to marry…”

 

“But?” Rafael probed.

 

Sonny hesitated a moment, before turning to face Rafael again, face wide open and vulnerable, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed nervously.

 

“But she’s not the person I’m in love with, Raf. She's not the one I think about constantly. The one I always picture beside me when I think about the future. She’s not…”

 

“What?” Rafael hardly dared to breathe. “She’s not what?”

 

Sonny glanced away, taking another drink of liquid courage before squaring his shoulders resolutely and meeting Rafael’s eyes again.

 

“She’s not you.”

 

Rafael felt as if every drink he’d ever taken in his life suddenly hit him all at once. His knees went (thank God he was sitting down), his stomach went, his heart was pounding and his head was swimming. There was no way Sonny was saying what he thought he was saying. This had to be a dream. Some wonderful, intoxicating dream. He never wanted to wake up.

 

Sonny was looking at him now, eyes all intent and determination. All that blue focussed solely on him. “Raf? Rafael, you okay? Say something, please! Look, I know I just hit you with all this and maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all, but I asked you to meet us for drinks that night to try to prove to myself that loving you was hopeless, that you didn’t feel the same way and I should just let go of the stupid dream I had of us being together. But all it did was prove to me that I was still head over heels in love with you and always would be. I don’t expect you to feel the same, but do you think mayb-“

 

Sonny didn’t get a chance to finish what he was trying to say, cut off as he was by the sudden press of Rafael’s lips against his. Rafael swallowed the rest of the question down, tasting the words as clearly as the scotch still lingering on Sonny’s breath, kissing him with all he had.

 

Sonny, for his part, got with the program pretty damn quick. Kissing back with as equal an ardour, his arms came up to circle round Rafael’s waist, nearly tugging him off the barstool he was already dangerously close to toppling off after surging forward in his haste to kiss the man he loved and who apparently loved him back. It didn’t matter if he fell, though. Not anymore. It may have taken a while, but Sonny was there to catch him now, just as he was always meant to be. The thought took Rafael’s breath away as surely as the kiss.

 

And as they tumbled into a cab a few minutes later, all bright eyes and wandering hands, almost a year late but somehow right on time, Rafael knew with a bone-deep certainty that ‘inevitable’ was something worth waiting for. _They_ were worth waiting for. He and Sonny were finally right where they were supposed to be - _together._

 

**Author's Note:**

> And there you have it! As I said in the notes at the end of my first Barisi fic, I have no idea why country songs provide me with so much inspiration for story ideas for an ADA from The Bronx and a cop from States Island, but somehow they do! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. I hope you found some enjoyment in the story. If you feel like sharing your thoughts on the story please feel free to come do so, either here in the comments section or over on tumblr where I’m also known as novemberhush. Thanks again for reading. ‘Til next time, take care. xxx


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